If he does decide to leave, the German club are determined to land another coach with a pedigree of winning the Champions League - with former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti a potential replacement.

Bayern go to Hannover on Saturday for their last game before the winter break begins. Guardiola is expected to fly back to his home in Barcelona the following day to spend Christmas with his family.

Another year in Germany would mean the Spaniard’s contract ending at the same time as Louis van Gaal’s three-year term at Old Trafford runs out.

Despite senior Old Trafford sources claiming Ryan Giggs is seen as a future United manager, it would be hard to turn down a manager with Guardiola’s credentials for an untried and tested rookie like Van Gaal’s current number two.

Etihad sources though claim the chance to spend Sheikh Mansour’s billions and work with former Barcelona duo Txiki Begiristain and CEO Ferran Soriano would be a big pull for Guardiola.